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Invasion of Seattle
United States |side2 = Soviet Union |commanders1 = Jeremiah Sawyer | James Webb | Parker | Mark Bannon }} |commanders2 = Unknown Soviet commander(s) |forces1 =United States Armed Forces *Washington National Guard *5th Supply Battalion Seattle Police Department |forces2 =Soviet Armed Forces *Soviet Army *Soviet Navy *Soviet Air Force *Soviet Airborne Troops |casualties1 =Heavy *Numerous soldiers, tanks, APCs, and aircraft *Several buildings destroyed *Kingdome destroyed |casualties2 =Heavy *Numerous soldiers, tanks, APCs, and aircraft }} The Invasion of Seattle was a major battle that occurred in the fall of 1989 following the outbreak of World War III. It initiated the Invasion of the United States by the Soviet Union. Prelude When World War III occurred in 1989, the Soviet Union made good on its promise to invade Western Europe when the United Nations failed to provide financial aid for their failing economy. However, it was not long before the beleaguered armies of NATO were reinforced by their American allies, who assisted the Europeans in rolling the Soviets back across the Iron Curtain. The Soviet Union knew that a swift and decisive victory would go unrealized as long as the Americans were involved in the war, so they made several attempts to undermine American power in Europe and to distract them from the European front. The Soviets initially approached this strategy by means of blackmail when they assaulted and besieged New York City, taking scores of hostages and threatening to unleash a massive chemical attack on the metropolis from their firebases in New York Harbor unless the Americans withdrew their forces. This effort failed when the Americans crushed the Soviet presence within the region. Threatened with the possibility of an American intervention by means of the REFORGER convoys, the Soviets approached a new means of attack: A full-scale invasion of the United States. It was hoped that by invading the American homeland, the U.S. Army would have no choice but to divert its men and resources back home in order to hold off the Soviets, weakening their influence in Western Europe. They chose to strike at the American West Coast, where the U.S. was most vulnerable. It was decided that the Soviet Navy would launch a massive amphibious assault on Seattle, Washington. An elaborate ruse The Soviets knew that if they approached the U.S., they would be intercepted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, so they instead chose to attack covertly by means of their fleet of civilian tankers and freighters. Loading untold thousands of troops, tanks, helicopters, and weapons onto dozens of cargo ships, the Soviet Navy trekked across the Pacific and easily bypassed the unsuspecting Pacific Fleet. The U.S. was now open to attack. The invasion The Soviets arrived in Seattle on an ordinary fall day when the U.S. Coast Guard noted their presence. Noting that the vessels were unmarked, the Coast Guard demanded to know the identity of the fleet. When the Soviets remained silent, local authorities were sent to the harbor to investigate their activities. Suddenly, the Soviets unleashed a force of Mi-24V HIND gunships against the Seattle police forces, forcing them to retreat from the harbor. The Soviets then unloaded their ground forces onto the mainland, initiating the invasion of Seattle. Immediately overwhelmed, the Seattle Police Department alerted the Washington National Guard and demanded reinforcements. The National Guard sped towards the harbor in a desperate bid to halt the invaders, and contacted the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The police worked in conjunction with the National Guard to protect the civilian population as they fled for safety. However, all their efforts proved futile as the Soviets overwhelmed the confused and scattered U.S. forces, impeding their efforts to save the city. The Americans were quickly losing ground. Captain Bannon took command of all U.S. forces in Seattle after their commanding officer was killed in action. Realizing that there was no hope of saving Seattle, Bannon ordered a retreat of all U.S. forces from the city. He commissioned his former comrade Lieutenant Parker, who had been on shore leave prior to the invasion, to rally the scattered U.S. forces. Meanwhile, Bannon ordered his helicopter forces to scan the harbor to monitor Soviet activities. Many choppers were lost due to anti-aircraft fire. Thousands of civilians fled the city by any means available, while others took cover downtown. Parker assaulted the harbor and held off the Soviets long enough to reestablish control over a U.S. supply depot where he could reinforce his men. Bolstered by additional M2 Bradleys, Parker fought his way through the city to rescue pinned down National Guard units. When word arrived that the Kingdome was under siege by the Soviets, Bannon ordered Parker to secure the area so that the Army could rescue the civilians holed up inside. The effort succeeded and after all Soviet anti-aircraft and ground forces were destroyed, dozens of trucks and helicopters arrived and evacuated the Kingdome. Mere moments after the last evacuees were rescued, the Kingdome was destroyed in a massive barrage of Soviet artillery. Meanwhile, Staff Sergeant Hanson of the National Guard requested reinforcements as his forces were pinned down by the Soviets. Parker rescued them and their forces fled the city, fighting off Soviet tanks all along the way. The Americans secured a zone for reinforcements and after receiving additional tanks, fought towards the expressway. However, the Soviets were waiting for them, so Parker destroyed their defensive positions and cleared a path for his allies. The U.S. National Guard then came under the command of Colonel Jeremiah Sawyer, who had just returned from service in Europe. He ordered all surviving U.S. forces in Seattle to retreat to the suburbs. The retreat In the hours following the initial invasion, thousands of U.S. soldiers and refugees fled to the outskirts of Seattle, where they were met with reinforcements. The Soviets pursued their American foes in an attempt to cripple the National Guard and any attempt to recapture the fallen city. While the civilians fled across the highway bridge within the suburbs, Sawyer linked up with Captain James Webb, one of his old comrades who was reactivated on the war front. Sawyer then ordered Bannon, Webb, and Parker to jointly command the American defense as the civilians retreated. After the bridge was secured, the Soviets attacked the Americans in full force. They also spread into the neighborhoods where they set up defensive outposts and fire bases while attempting to take hostages. Among these hostages was the family of U.S General Levinson, whom Parker was quick to rescue before the Soviets carted them off. The Soviets later attempted to take dozens of civilians away by means of stolen school buses, forcing Parker to intervene. The attack succeeded and the civilians commandeered the buses for their own escape. The American defenders sustained heavy losses, but were soon bolstered by several additional troops, and once again held off repeated assaults from the Soviets. After the buses and the other civilians fled across the bridge to safety, Sawyer ordered Webb and Parker to pull across the bridge to defend the evacuees while Bannon and Charlie Company maintained their position. The Soviets soon infested the suburbs and attacked the Americans from every direction. Webb and Parker held them off when Parker was ordered to recover some American anti-aircraft tanks. The Soviets had been harassing the Americans with repeated helicopter assaults and drop-offs. Parker secured these batteries, forcing the Soviet air force to back off. The Americans then evacuated the local hospital and destroyed several occupied homes being used as rally points for paratroopers. The Soviets then launched their main attack, overwhelming Captain Bannon. With Parker and Webb too far away, Sawyer ordered Parker to use all available tactical aids, such as tank busters, artillery barrages, and carpet bombings to destroy the Soviets. Parker was also charged with destroying any major fuel depots and gas stations in order to deprive them of fuel and supplies. Parker's massive bombing campaign killed many Soviets, and granted Bannon enough time to evacuate his company one platoon at a time. After the survivors of all three platoons fled, the Air Force destroyed the highway bridge, halting the Soviet onslaught. Having temporarily isolated the Soviets, the Americans fled to the countryside, leaving Seattle under firm Soviet control. Aftermath The invasion of Seattle was a military disaster for the United States. The Soviets had managed to capture one of America's major cities and take tens of thousands of citizens hostage. The Washington National Guard was left in ruins after the attack, badly hampering their ability to resist the invaders. The capture of Seattle granted the Soviets an outlet by which to invade the West Coast, and they quickly conquered the whole of Puget Sound and the nearby city of Tacoma. They then spread across the countryside and proceeded to invade Washington State. This effectively opened up the American Front of World War III, and it would force the Americans to rededicate their war efforts to the U.S. while maintaining control of Europe. After the President of the United States was informed of the invasion, he ordered all available forces to rally around Washington State in an effort to isolate and drive back the Soviets. Many National Guards from nearby states such as Oregon were redirected to Washington to assist the regular U.S. Army in liberating the state. America was kept under a state of high alert as they attempted to slow the Soviet advance across the country. The invasion of Seattle has caused massive infrastructural damage to the city and the surrounding areas, and led to thousands of military and civilian deaths. The loss of Seattle was a serious blow to the American war efforts in World War III. Seattle will later be retaken from the Soviets by American forces, after the Battle of Clearwater Creek, which will deliver a decisive blow to the Chinese amphibious assault. See also *Invasion! category:Battles